Chapter 14: Miraculum

[System Notice: You died.]

[System Notice: You gained attribute(s) through battle. Strength increased by 1.]

I was sitting on the couch as I kept remembering that one notification. The one of me dying, of course. Death was never tender, and I thought I would have had it in the bag. I just destroyed a couple of boss-like mobs, though I had been buffed. Now I just feel like a wet noodle.

Though, I kept going over the fight with Aurel, I couldn’t think of what I could have done differently. I suppose I could have tried blocking the breath attack, and saving my blink for that attack, but I don’t know how strong the breath attack was. I wasn’t expecting such a high-powered attack, either. You always hear in stories of how strong breath attacks are, so I had to blink.

Stop justifying your carelessness. I couldn’t get my mind together. I died, yet {Battle Prowess} netted me an attribute. That was the only positive, as it brought all my physical attributes to ten. If this wasn’t a challenge floor, then it’d all be over. It may still be all over. I obviously can’t kill this thing.

[Aurel: Aww, mere human too scared and weak to come out to play? Mwahahaha.]

And there he goes again. His voice may sound scary in my head, but out there, it’s just some prepubescent sounding punk. Ignore it. I started thinking about a course of action.

One thing for sure, though, was that I definitely cannot take that attack head on. I absolutely had to keep my {Shrouded Blink} until he used it. I need to test his breath damage to see if it can be soaked up by my shield or not. I will figure this out. I will.

I decided to check the shop again. I was hoping there would be something there to help—anything. I needed gear to protect against fire, or to somehow—but of course, there was nothing. Even using {Goblin’s Recovery Hymn} wouldn’t help too much. As I was thinking, I headed over to the door for my second attempt at this challenge.

[Aurel: Yes, yes!]

I headed over to the platform, but the Fire Spirit wasn’t there. I could only assume he was within the ashes again.

[System Notice: Are you ready to resume your challenge? Y,N]

I took a deep breath, “Sure.”

The ash started moving again, and I could see him start forming once more.

[System Notice: Challenge mode has been resumed. Second attempt initiated. HP 930/1000]

I was alarmed, in a good way. I had brought him down by 90, but he doesn’t seem to have fully healed between attempts. I might actually be able to do this. No. I know I can!

I saw the Spawn of the Ashen Flame readying up his fireballs, the same way he started last time. I immediately started running directly at the small spirit of fire. If I can just hit him two or three times, I can whittle him down and fight him again before he has regened all his health. I may not get rewards, but keeping my life is a reward in of itself.

As I ran, I activated {Goblin’s Recovery Hymn}. As long as I don’t get one-shot, it may pull me through enough to get in another hit. Now that I knew the way this challenge functioned, every hit counted. I raised my drained kite shield as the fireball came at me.

[Biding Hellfire Rupture power at 200/260.]

I used the momentum from the blast and twirled my body to the left as I sidestepped, effectively dodging the other fireball. I decided against unleashing the energy just yet as I could hold it to neutralize a fireball, and prevent him from absorbing it for a breath attack. He started forming a couple more fireballs as I got closer, so I lunged with my longsword.

[Fire Spirit, Aurel, Spawn of the Ashen Flame, Lv10, takes 65 damage.]

Right, my strength went up. The Fire Spirit smashed the two fireballs in his hands in front of him, trying to slam the fireballs into me. Unfortunately for him, he was too small and I was able to backstep the attack. I did, however, bear the brunt of the attack as the explosion of the two reached me.

[You took 50 damage from Fire Spirit, Aurel, Spawn of the Ashen Flame, Lv10. Current health: 110/160]

He took the opportunity provided to start preparing what I assumed was his ultimate attack, so I mentally prepared to use my blink as I ran in for another attack.

[Fire Spirit, Aurel, Spawn of the Ashen Flame, Lv10, takes 65 damage.]

He finished the attack before I can hit him again, so I activated {Shrouded Blink}, contemplating where I should teleport to after it landed and made me turn into smoke. I could see the astonishment on his face as the attack phased through my body, and he started looking for me behind him. I instead blinked to the opposite side of him, and I slashed at him. But...

I missed. He fucking giggled as he poofed into ash and my longsword cut through nothing. He reappeared where his beam had been sent, seemingly catching it within his palms, and redirecting the attack at my side. I couldn’t even try blocking as I was still recovering from my attack.

[You took 788 damage from Fire Spirit, Aurel, Spawn of the Ashen Flame, Lv10.]

[System Notice: You died.]

I reappeared in the white room. The pain I felt was intense but short as I died instantly. I fell to my knees and pounded my fist into the floor. I needed that hit. I only dropped him down by 130. That’s not enough. If I am able to do that three more times, he won’t die. I’ll die. He fucking giggled at me.

To be completely honest, I was mad. I was tired of being thought of as weak. I dealt with being weak my previous lives. I got killed by those I thought were my teammates, and mocked because I was weak. I thought I had gotten stronger. No, I knew I had definitely gotten stronger. I did get stronger, but I still must be too weak.

I went through my thought process again. I did a thorough check of my abilities. I needed a way to survive his ultimate attack. Then, I saw it. I didn’t need to survive his ultimate attack if he couldn’t use it.

{Sudden Slumber} - An active ability. The next foe you touch falls asleep. Cooldown scales off Perception. Current cooldown: 3 minutes.

This single ability helped me in my fight against Zilmazil. I am an absolute idiot for not thinking about using it. I should definitely have time to use it while he charges it up. I pulled my confidence together as I pushed through the doors, hopefully for the last time.

[Aurel: Mwahaha! I bet you never expected my attack to be able to do that! You think you were the only one who could look cool? Hahaha nope!]

[System Notice: Are you ready—]

“Yes, resume challenge.”

[System Notice: Challenge mode has been resumed. Third attempt initiated. HP 830/1000]

30 health regened this time. I did what I had last time; rushing towards him immediately as he prepared his fireballs. But I stopped. Aurel wasn’t moving.

“Again?” He asked. “Can’t you make this more fun?”

“Fun?” I pointed my longsword at the Fire Spirit. “You do realize I’m risking my life here!?”

“But you are weak,” he quickly retorted. “Make it fun for me! Struggle, or something! The role of the weak is to entertain the strong. Me, strong. You, weak. Entertain me!”

“...I see. I am weak. But you are wrong. The role—” I took a second, but Aurel couldn’t bother waiting anymore. I watched as he no longer remained four foot. He began converging fire from the surrounding area as he grew in size. He started preparing his fireballs as he grew twice the size he was. I continued anyway, “The role of the weak is to overcome the strong! Until they are strong enough to change the thoughts of those like you! And I—I will—”

The Spawn of the Ashen Flame threw his fireballs at me. He yelled over me, “You will do nothing but die.” His voice was anything but prepubescent now. He had been playing me. He took me for a fool. I raised my shield as the fireballs swirled through the air at me. I wouldn’t die by absorbing one and partially absorbing the other. So they hit me.

[You took 0 damage from Fire Spirit, Aurel, Spawn of the Ashen Flame, Lv10.]

[System Notice: You were affected by luck. Miraculum’s latent ability, {Bringing About Miracles}, activated. Multiple abilities are temporarily improved.]

{Area Scan} and {Battle Prowess} improved to {Unprecedented Cognition}

{Goblin’s Tongue} improved to {Worldly Tongue}

{Spin!} improved to {Jackpot!}

{Shrouded Blink} improved to {Instantaneous Movement}

{Sudden Slumber} improved to {Eternal Slumber}

I opened my eyes as a golden ambiance enveloped me. “I will fight against the strong. Even if... it requires a miracle to win.” I finished up my sentence as the smoke from the fireballs cleared up. I stared down the Fire Spirit known as Aurel as he shook at my words.

He softly spoke, “That’s—the language of—” I took a step towards Aurel, and before my foot landed, {Instantaneous Movement} activated. I appeared in front of him. I lightly touched the Fire Spirit. His flames permeated my left hand.

[You took 0 damage from Fire Spirit, Aurel, Spawn of the Ashen Flame, Lv10.]

“Rest in eternal slumber, spirit.” As I spoke my words, {Eternal Slumber} activated, and the Fire Spirit disappeared.

[System Notice: You gained 2500 EXP. EXP was affected by luck! You gained an additional 2500 EXP.]

[System Notice: Challenge Floor: Fire complete. Attempt: Third. You received one reward. You gained 500 Divinity Points. Reward was affected by luck! You gained an additional 500 Divinity Points.]

[System Notice: Divinity Points can be used at Shrines in exchange for items from the specific Shrine’s deity.]

[System Notice: You learned a new ability through {Assimilation}. You learned {Wield Element: Fire}.]

{Wield Element: Fire} - A passive ability. You have great attainment of fire. You are able to control fire to an extreme effect. Increases fire resistance by 25%.

I stood there on the platform and another bridge starting appearing on the other side. Through the flames, I could see an open cave. I peered into the cave with {Unprecedented Cognition} and saw a shrine with flames dancing upon it. I took a step towards the location I wanted to move, appearing before the shrine. I touched the shrine to open up the special shop lurking within.

[System Notice: Divinity Shop affected by luck! You will be transported.]

[System Notice: Latent ability, {Bringing About Miracles}, has ended.]